1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cushions that support the buttocks of people suffering from hemorrhoids.
2. Technical Problems and Prior art
Many solutions have been proposed to relieve the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids. These include the use of suppositories and other preparations that must be applied to the vicinity of the hemorrhoids. Not only are these messy and difficult to apply, but the alleged comfort they provide is only temporary, if any, and applications must be made frequently to renew any relief available from their use.
Special pads have been provided to relieve the pressure on the hemorrhoids. One type of pad in the form of a doughnut supports the buttocks in an elevated position above the seat on which the pad is mounted so that no pressure is applied against the hemorrhoids when a patient is seated thereon. However, this type of seat is unsuitable for use in autos where there is limited room beneath the steering wheel. Also, such doughnut shaped seats do not offer any back pressure to counteract the pressure of the blood vessels in the anus on hemorrhoids, which pressure causes discomfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,762 to Swan discloses viscous, flowable, pressure compensating fitting materials and their use in boots, but also states that such fitting materials may also be used in conjunction with cushioning structures, including devices or appliances which provide protection to parts of the human body by cushioning against pressure, impact or shock. In this patent, a preformed shape fitting pad of selected shape and construction is used. The pad comprises a flexible, protective enclosure having confined and retained therein a predetermined amount or volume of pressure-compensating fitting material with desired fitting and flow characteristics. The fitting pad retains the pressure-compensating fitting material and is shaped, constructed, and adapted to be positioned in an ankle-covering boot between the boot and the foot. Each fitting pad is custom fit to the customer. Such custom fitting is expensive and is inconvenient to develop in the case of hemorrhoid relief pads.
The Swan patent described in the previous paragraph is mentioned by Jay Medical, Ltd. in advertising literature for a product called a Maximus(.TM.) Hemorrhoid Relief Cushion. This product is essentially flat and includes an elevated portion that extends across substantially the entire width of the cushion to engage the creases between the buttocks of the user. Promotional material for this product states that it works to relieve the pain and swelling of hemorrhoids because of a patented Flolite(Registered .TM.) pad that is built into the cushion so that when a person sits down, fluid within the pad automatically conforms to the person's shape and exerts a slight but effective pressure on the hemorrhoids that actually counteracts the pressures in the veins around the anus. This provides support that no medication can give and is alleged to provide exactly the support a person needs to reduce the internal pressures that cause hemorrhoidal swelling and pain.
Also available at present are countoured modular seating systems sold under the trademark "ContourU" by Pindot Products, Chicago, IL. These systems have flat bottom surfaces and contoured upper surfaces and are available in 34 different sizes and are mounted on multiadjustable aluminum frameworks compatible with most wheelchairs.
Another product presently available is sold as the Helpmate(.TM.) wheelchair accessory seat made from durable thermoplastic in combination with a fully-cleanable, water and stain resistant Soft Seat(.TM.) foam cover by Formcare(.TM.) Products division of Gemini, Inc., Cannon Falls, MN. The seat has a contoured upper surface that includes a raised portion with a rounded top at the front portion of the seat to provide proper support and balance for a person sitting in a wheelchair.
Still another cushion available on the market is known as the BioThotic(.TM.) cushion, sold by American General Health Care, Valencia, CA. This latter cushion comprises a molded urethane base designed with a series of spaced, interacting pods and cones. The latter are readily modified and removable to provide additional relief for problem areas. A ventilated foam is incorporated to reduce heat buildup, to provide more comfort and to enhance pressure distribution. A washable cover of polypropylene is breathable, drawing moisture away from the skin to maintain healthy tissue. It is necessary to remove or modify certain pods and cones to develop a desired contour for the side of the seat that faces the sitter.
According to the teaching of the aforesaid prior art, it is either necessary to custom fit a hemorrhoid relief cushion for each individual to provide an expensive solution to the hemorrhoid problem or, as an alternative, to provide a cushion comprising a pad of pressure-compensating fitting material having an elevated portion of a given size prefabricated to an approximate height suitable for a person of a particular size and other pads of different standard sizes for people of other sizes. When cushions are prefabricated with elevated portions of different standard heights, an inventory of different standard sizes is required. This consumes sorely needed space of a distributor of such devices, and also requires a large number of molds to fabricate the many sizes of cushions needed for people of different size, namely, one for each standard size.